Grain-separating screen.



Nm 682,670. l Patented sept. 17, lsol.

c. cLosz.

GRAIN SEPABATING SCREEN.

. (Application led Dec. 29. 1900.)

(N o M o d el l. -ll'llillrllle m mnh nu mili UNITED 'STATES APATENTOFFICE.

CHARLES CLOSZ, OF` WEBSTER CITY, IOVVA.

QRAIN-SEPARATING' SCREEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,670, datedSeptember 17, 1901.-

Application tiled December 29, 1900. Serial No. 41,517. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern: j

Be it known that I, CHARLES Cnosz, a citizen of the United States,residing at Webster City, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and usefulI Improvements in Grain-SeparatingScreens, of which the following is a specication.

The improvement in grain-cleaning screens for threshing-machines whichforms the subject-matter of this patent is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, which, in connection with the followingdescriptionl and the concluding claims, will set out the parts andcombinations of parts which distinguish be tween what is old and what isclaimed as new. Y The screenis of the character in which the meshsurface is formed of adjustable pivoted vslats to meet the requirementsof different kinds and conditions of grain, so that a `suitableadjustment of the slats will change their inclination, and therebyincrease or diminish the openings between v them to suit different kindsor sizes of grain and to control the volume of the air-currents directedupward between the Slat-fingers, so that a single shaking-screen may beadapted for use in the same machine for diierent kinds of grain. Forthis purpose my improvements are directed to the form and to theconstruction of the fingered slats and to the provision whereby they maybe adjusted, and in these particulars the novel features will'be set outin the following description.

The sieve structurey embodying these im-4 provements is illustratedinthe accompanying drawings in top viewin Figure 1. Fig. 2 shows invertical longitudinal section the forward end part of the screen. Fig. 3shows enlarged, in vertical section,that part of the 'screen having theconnections whereby the screen-slats are adjusted to close or to varythe size of the openings -between the slats.

Fig. V/ishows in sectional detail the concavo' convex toothed form ofone of the slats at that edge at which the opening is formed between theslats. of the fingered slats is mounted on the top frame-bar fixedmediately of the width of the frame. Fig.` 6 is a detail incross-section of the-top frame-bar, the contiguous parts of thetransverse slats, and the provision for connecting and adjusting thetransverse slats.

Fig. 5 shows the way in which one;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the thu mb-nut by which the adjustment of theslats is made. Fig. 8 is one ot the sheet metal slats in transversesection, showing its doubled lnounting form and the surface edge groovebetween the in` gers. Fig. 9 is a detail in top view of the fingerededge of the Slat, showing where the hollow surfaces are formed betweenthe iingers at the edge of the slat.

The screen is designed especially for sepa- 4 rating the chaff andcoarse matter which.

usually comes from the first separation onto the cleaning-screen, andforsuch purpose the construction is especially advantageous inpreventing the undue passage of the grain or small seeds when the slatsare closed, or nearly so, to give effective direction to the wind-blastand a good surface for carrying straws, weeds, and other coarse materialover the screen.

The frame is of rectangular form and for use is mounted in thewell-known manner for a reciprocating endwise movement. A bar l,inediately ofits width,supplements the frame, while thescreening-surface is formed of transverse sheet-metal slats looselymounted on rods in the side bars and connected to the under side of themediate bar, so that their suri'ace-forming parts lap, and at such lapping the mesh-openings are formed for the., `passage of the grain. 1These slats are of peculi iar construction, `their. edges. formed withfin` openings between the-slats are closed for certain kinds of grainand to facilitate the movement of coarse stuit over them, such closingbeing formed by the ends of the lingers of one slat resting on the backof the adjacent forward slat, back of its lingers. The trans- ICOversely-convex form of the fingers promotes j the side rolling of thegrain off between them,

while the concave formation of the edge of the slat, between thefingers, forms a series of surface grooves 5, Fig. 8, at the base of andbetween the convex formation of the fingers to promote the free movementof the grain toward the edge of the slat. The transverse form of theslat is also peculiai` in that its surface from its pivoting-rod (i isconvex lon- `szitudinally to the ends of the fingers and in the linethereof, as in Fig. 8, and its pivoted mounting on the transverse rod isformed by lapping or doubling the slat at 7, with its edge freelyclasping said pivot-rod as a sleeve on the wind side of the slat, whichbeing iliade of sheet metal is easily so formed. In like manner thelower edge of each slat is freely bent around a transverse rod 8,forming a sleeve whereby all the slats are connected to a longitudinalbar 9, through which the rods 8 pass, thereby freely suspending said rod9, and when lifted or lowered has the effect to close or to open thefingers of each slat with relation to the upper surface of thecontiguous slat to adjust them to give more or less width of openingbetween the slats or to close the fingers upon the slats. Thisconstruction for freely mounting the sheet-metal slats is important inrendering them stiff lengthwise, giving them a well-supportedconstruction in which the sheet-metal fingers are very much increased intheir stiffness, With a minimum weight. The slat doubled transverselyrenders it easy to make and to mount, for the mounting-rods need only tobe passed through the sleeves formed by the lapped or doubled underpart, so that these connections are permanent. Vhile thesheetmetalfingers formed as described giveastrong construction, theseparating-surface formed thereby offers the least resistance whenopened for the movement of the coarse stuff. The provision whereby theslats are adjusted consists of a bar 9, freelysuspended by the rod 8,transversely passed through the sleeves formed by the doubled lowerparts of the sheetmetal slats,a link 10, pivotally connecting thissuspended bar toa bolt 1l, passing up through the mediate bar, a nut 12on the upper end of the bolt, and a plate-spring detent 13 on the barengaging recesses 14, Fig. 7, in the upper surface of the nut as a meansfor locking it, when by turning the nut the freely-suspended bar isthereby raised or lowered, causing the transverse rocking of theloosely-mounted slats on their fixed pivot-rod G, and thus set theslat-fingers nearer to or farther from the convex slat-surface. The nutis preferably located in a stepped or recessed part of the mediate barnear the forward end of the screen, so that the plate-spring in itsengagement with the nut extends on a levelwith the top of said bar overits recessed part, and thereby offers no impediment to the movement ofthe coarse stuff over the screen. A convenient way of making the nut isseen in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein its upper surface is seen as providedwith notches 14 and the plate-detent 13 formed to engage them, as inFig. 3. A keeperof two plate-sections 15 engages a groove in the nut; asa convenient means of securing it in place, while the pivotalyconnection of the bolt-head with the link 10 prevents the bolt fromturning. In this adjustment provision the freely-suspended bar is theimportant feature whereby the adjustment of all the fingered slats isrendered easyand convenient, while with the link 10 and bolt connectionwith the mediate bar the slats are securely held to their set relation.Looking at Figs. 3 and 3, it will be seen that while the slat parts 17are straight to give the proper direction to the upward air-currentsbetween the fingered slats the overhangng sloping finger part convex incross-section and the surface grooves 5 at the base of the fingers givesatisfactory results in connection with the adjustable capacity of theslats for the different requirements for different grain. In Figs. 2 and3 it is seen that it is the freelysuspended bar 9 that permits theuse ofthe vertical link and its pivotal connection with the verticaladjustingbolt as the means whereby the screen-slats are set to suit thekind of grain.

I claim- 1. In a grain-separating screen and in combination with aframe, of fingered slats pivotally mounted therein the fingers and theslats having a construction giving to the ngers a forward and downwardcurve and a convex transverse form extending back of the edges of theslats, the latter being concave at the edges between the fingers givingan undulating formation along said slat edges and means IOO whereby theslats are adjusted to open and to close the openings between thefingered edges of the adjacent slats.

:2. In a grain-separating screen and in combination with a frame, ascreening-surface composed of transverse parallel slats pivotallymounted in said frame having fingers curving forwardly and downwardly,of transverse convex form, the slats between the fingers having surfacegrooves 5 running. back from the edge of the slat.

3. In a grain-separating screen and in combination with a frame, ascreening-surface composed of transverse parallel slats pivotallymounted in said frame having fingers curving forwardly and downwardly,the depending portion of each slat doubled or lapped on itself formingsleeves thereby, a pivotforming bar 6 on which one of said sleeves ismounted, rods 8 passed through the other sleeve, a freely-suspended barmounted on said rods and means whereby said freely-suspended bar israised and lowered.

et. In a grain-separating screen and in combination a frame, metal slatseach doubled or lapped about half its width forming a sleeve, fingerscurving forward from said sleeve and of convex transverse form, theconvexity extending baek of the fingered edge and the latter concavebetween the fingers, a pivotforming bar on which said slat-sleeves aremounted and means connecting the lapped TIO ends of the slats foradjusting the fingered edges Of the adjacent slats.

5. In a grain-separating screen and in combination a frame, metal slats,each having ngers curving forward and grooves at its edge between thefingers extending back from the fingered edge, a xed pivot-forming barOn which each slat is loosely mounted and means connecting the slats foradjusting the openings between the fingered and concave edges Ofadjacent slats.

6. In a grain-separating screen and in combination a frame provided witha mediate bar, slats pivotaliy mounted in said frame having fingerscurving forward so that the Openings between the slats will be formedbe- CHARLES CLOSZ.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, A. ROLAND J OHNsON.

